In continuation of my update on Zoledronic acid..
Stem cells can be protected from the effects of ageing by a drug currently used to treat patients with osteoporosis, a breakthrough study has found.
Scientists from the University of Sheffield discovered the drug zoledronate is able to extend the lifespan of mesenchymal stem cells by reducing DNA damage.
DNA damage is one of the most important mechanisms of ageing where stem cells lose their ability to maintain and repair the tissues in which they live and keep it working correctly.
The pioneering research shows the drug protects the stem cells from DNA damage enhancing their survival and maintaining their function.
Professor Ilaria Bellantuono, from the University's Department of Metabolism, said: "The drug enhances the repair of the damage in DNA occurring with age in stem cells in the bone. It is also likely to work in other stem cells too.
